A year ago
I attended my last UNISON National Delegate Conference and this year I am
watching from afar as an interested member of my trade union.
1 July 2018
will see the twenty fifth birthday of the Union and the NEC therefore supported
a proposal to Conference (set out in Composite A) for a “review” of the Union.
(This was not,
as I had mistakenly thought, a proposal for a “revue” notwithstanding the
hilarious suggestion made by the General Secretary that the Union was a “left”
union – a quip which nearly matched the legendary “ice
sculpture” sketch for sheer laughs).
Upon visiting
the Local Government Conference at the weekend I became aware that branches
were trying to amend Composite A to National Delegate Conference in order to
inject some democracy and accountability into the composition of a “taskforce” proposed
to oversee the review.
I understand
that this attempted amendment was ruled out of order and that therefore,
delegates (mistrusting the approach of a Union machine that did not wish to
hold itself accountable to its active members) determined to oppose the
Composite motion.
Following a
debate, a vote on a show of hands showed clearly that the Composite motion had
been defeated, but the Union’s Vice President, chairing the Conference initially
sought to declare that the motion had been carried – and only conceded a card
vote following some considerable contention.
The outcome of
the card vote was that the Composite motion (supported by the NEC) had been
comprehensively defeated. It is now in the hands of delegates whether or not
they reprioritise another motion in order to pursue the question of a review of
the Union as it enters its twenty sixth year.
This
unfortunate handling of a controversial debate is hardly unheard of over the
years at UNISON Conference. Fifteen years ago I was pleased to win a majority
vote (on a show of hands) to amend Schedule D to the UNISON Rule Book on behalf
of the Lambeth Branch.
Some years
later the then Vice President who had chaired that debate confided in me that
he had faced criticism for calling the vote carried although he could see that
was the result (I don’t think that a former Labour MP will mind too much my
sharing that confidence all these years later).
I am very sorry
that UNISON’s Vice President in 2018 was not able to show the same judgement as
had the Vice President in 2003. The leadership of a national trade union in
visible decline should not be picking a fight with its best activists.
I am so glad
that UNISON Conference delegates continue to fight on for democratic control of
our trade union.